posted at 9:21 am on April 25, 2012 by Ed Morrissey

Looks like the RNC has tired of waiting for other candidates to take the hint. RNC chair Reince Priebus and Mitt Romney have begun working this morning to merge their efforts and start working on the general election with Romney as the leader of the party:

“Governor Romney’s strong performance and delegate count at this stage of the primary process has made him our party’s presumptive nominee,” said RNC Chairman Reince Priebus. “In order to maximize our efforts I have directed my staff at the RNC to open lines of communication with the Romney campaign.”

This involves some personnel moves from the Romney primary campaign to the RNC:

The leading edge of the synchronization will be four liaisons between the two organizations. Brian Jones, who has been serving as an adviser to Romney since late last year, will lead that effort. Kevin Madden, who served as the press secretary for Romney’s 2008 presidential bid, will advise the communications operation and serve as a DC-based television surrogate for the Romney/RNC effort. Ward Baker, a veteran Tennessee-based GOP strategist, will help coordinate the political and field teams. Ron Kaufman, a veteran RNC member, and Ben Ginsberg, who served as national counsel to Romney’s 2008 race, will also facilitate interaction between the two groups.

Priebus will remain in his position, and Romney won’t name a deputy chair, which presidential nominees will sometimes do to flex their muscle or keep tabs on the organization. Chris Cillizza writes that this is a vote of confidence in Priebus from Romney. And why not? Priebus has done a very good job as a turn-around specialist at the RNC, and perhaps only a fellow turn-around specialist like Romney can appreciate the effort and the improvements made from the Michael Steele era.

The new partnership will allow the Romney campaign to raise money in the same manner that the Obama campaign has done for the past year. Romney and Priebus will hold big-ticket joint fundraisers that will score eye-popping donation totals, presumably immediately. Romney and the GOP needed to get started on that as soon as possible; Obama has $100 million in the bank, even if the donations to his campaign trail his pace from 2008 rather significantly, while Romney has $10 million banked at the moment. The GOP has all summer to catch up, but the earlier reality sets in and they get started, the better off they are.

Update: Romney and the RNC have added at least 20 fundraising events through May, according to Politico:

Mitt Romney’s campaign has set a breathtaking schedule for finance events for him over the next month, according to a schedule obtained by POLITICO – with at least fifteen different cities put on his calendar between April 30 and the last day of May.

At least three of those stops are expected to be multi-event trips, simply listed on the schedule right now as “Florida” or “California,” without the type of event described next to it – indicating a number of fundraisers will be put on the schedule.

That will mean at least 20 events, in addition to keeping up with public campaign stops. And the fifteen different cities are in addition to the six fundraising events Romney is holding in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut this week. …

The schedule warns that the events are subject to change. But the pace of the fundraising is breakneck, as the campaign has moved to fill the coffers of the “Victory Fund” it’s set up jointly with the Republican National Committee and other local committees.

Priebus is short on mastery of etiquette (he should have waited till the remaining two candidates have formally conceded) but right on the practicalities. Another thing — as someone said above — it’s all the people the winning candidate will bring to Washington with him. Should Mitt win, I hope to hell Steve Schmidt and Nicole Wallace and a few others won’t be among them, although I fear they will be quietly rewarded for their work in helping destroy Sarah Palin and getting her out of Mitt’s way. It’s amazing how nasty and unlikeable so many Mitt supporters are.

But don’t worry — I will drag myself to the polls and vote for MItt, if only because he his damn lucky his opponent is Obama, the President from Hell.

Obama may do something that changes my mind about turning out to actively vote against him between now and November, but I will never, ever, ever, vote FOR Mitt Romney for anything.

SCSoxFan on April 25, 2012 at 10:21 AM

Okay then, by that definition you should be contributing to Obama’s reelection campaign. After all if you think Romney is such a bad human being then it is your civic duty to make sure he doesn’t get elected.

Filthy traitor. You may not trust Romney but that hatred should not blind you from seeing where we are after three years of Obama and make you want to do something about that! Or are you better off than you were four years ago? Everyone you know have jobs? Can you sell your house?

I suspect your “conscienious” reasons have more to do with Romney’s religious affiliation or something equally meaningless. Seriously, Romney was not my first choice but he is going to be the nominee. I see nothing in his positions that would result in supporting Obama the way you are. Or, I should have asked this earlier, are you a Ron Paul supporter and have problems with Romney because he isn’t as hellbent on destroying America as Obama or Paul who is to the left of Obama?

Romney = Obama
Only difference between the two is race.
You hate Obama, love Romney.
Draw your own conclusion.
angryed on April 25, 2012 at 10:24 AM

The only difference between you and a lunatic is you’re free to use the internet. Romney could not be more different from Obama in every way, whether it be O’s Marxist mentors, his counter-culture revolutionary zeal, his adult friendships and associations, his lack of private sector experience, and so on, ad nauseam.

This is where Glenn Beck lost me – he’d spend weeks talking about Van Jones and his comrades in the White House only to turn around and make baffling statements like, “Republicans are just as bad as Democrats”.

Should Mitt win, I hope to hell Steve Schmidt and Nicole Wallace and a few others won’t be among them, although I fear they will be quietly rewarded for their work in helping destroy Sarah Palin and getting her out of Mitt’s way.
Scriptor on April 25, 2012 at 10:28 AM

Here we go again with the completely unsubstantiated allegation that Wallace and Schmidt, who worked for John McCain were Romney agents. Just once I’d like to see someone from the rumor mill provide evidence to back up this charge. Honestly, Obama couldn’t have done a better job of sowing seeds of anti-Romney resentment by perpetuating this meme….

I have a list… angryed doesn’t like
1. women
2. women
3. voting for anyone who isn’t liberal
4. people who can support themselves
5. African-Americans
6. Anglo Saxon
7. religion
8. children
9. people who make money
10. alaska

very odd isn’t it?

upinak on April 25, 2012 at 10:16 AM

Can’t say for other items on the list but I don’t like African-Americans, either. My opinion has been amply confirmed by reality and, last time I checked, it was still legal. Have a problem with that?

Well look who it is! Why, it’s none other than His Royal Highness King Willard the Inevitable’s Mittler Youth Brigade Gruppenführer. What rock did you manage to drag yourself out from under this fine morning, Gun Control?

WTF? What’s this obsession with booze? Is that why you’ve named yourself after a girly pink drink?
Scriptor on April 25, 2012 at 10:37 AM

Ha! I never thought of that. I always thought of him as Cozmo the Clown. He and his friends think its funny to accuse people of being drunks. They even do it to commenters who are Mormons, which I think is really pretty despicable, but hey, what do I know? I’m not a fan of turning political blogs into chat rooms.

They even do it to commenters who are Mormons, which I think is really pretty despicable, but hey, what do I know? I’m not a fan of turning political blogs into chat rooms.

Buy Danish on April 25, 2012 at 10:43 AM

Ow, so prescient. Yeah, that’s why I got on the folks last night about having to drink to be able to join team Romney. All us newly assimilated are aware that there is nothing more potent than milk and cookies in the Romney break room.

Gave my state party $100 yesterday, they plan to keep it for local and state candidates. I pledged money to the RNC before this mess started, and I paid the minimum amount. That’s the last the RNC gets from me until I see a dunce walk for the morons who promised Romney the 2012 nomination back in 2008, and evidence they don’t plan on repeating the mistake.

FYI, I’m here for about a year, and been reading HA since its sale by the boss emeritus. I’ve seen about a thousand too many angryed’s posts. He’s a liberal shill who successfully played a TruCon to alienate conservatives to Romney, and had quite a few HotAir frequents fooled.

Ow, so prescient. Yeah, that’s why I got on the folks last night about having to drink to be able to join team Romney. All us newly assimilated are aware that there is nothing more potent than milk and cookies in the Romney break room.

But keep tryin’, ya’ Romney fluffin’ nutball.

cozmo on April 25, 2012 at 10:48 AM

You just implied that someone was a drunk and hungover. Others (not you that I’m aware of, but your bf’s here) made comments about csdeven being a drunk at a Hoboken bar. That was what I was reacting to. I didn’t make it through all the chat room last night so I missed your scintillating commentary, but if your comment was meant to be a tongue in cheek remark referencing last night’s chat room perhaps you could just apologize for your drunk/hangover comments since, not surprisingly, it flew over our heads.

And to be clear, I am not a Mormon so I am not bound by restrictions about drinking, and it would not be wise to assume this about his supporters unless they have actually told us as much.

Here we go again with the completely unsubstantiated allegation that Wallace and Schmidt, who worked for John McCain were Romney agents. Just once I’d like to see someone from the rumor mill provide evidence to back up this charge. Honestly, Obama couldn’t have done a better job of sowing seeds of anti-Romney resentment by perpetuating this meme….

Buy Danish on April 25, 2012 at 10:37 AM

OK — point taken. But if you read Wallace’s history, you discover that she is a Berkeley alum, who has worked for the Bush family (especially Jeb and later GWB in the White house), and is closely allied with that branch of the GOP that endorsed Mitt. She is very highly thought of by the Washington Post and other MSM outlets, and was portrayed as the heroine in the recent TV travesty “Primary Colors”. I do not want to see her in the White House again, but I will not be surprised if she shows up on the staff. Ditto Steve Schmidt, who started out his career as a New Jersey Democrat, working for Bill Bradley. In other words, they are agents for the kind of Republicanism that Mitt has been associated with, and which is outspoken in its contempt for Palin.

I never wanted Romney to win. I don’t like him. He isn’t even a good compromise candidate.

I will vote for him because Obama doesn’t even need four more years to destroy this country. Obama can do it in one.

ElectricPhase on April 25, 2012 at 9:55 AM

THIS! It is people like you, and the others that have faced reality. It makes me proud to “know” you. I, and so many others here have had to face the relunctant truth that Romney is our candidate, and have decided to unite and save our country. It will take thousands of us to fight the Chicago organization, and he will need every one of us. Obama will have college kids out there manning the streets and neighborhoods, eating pizza at the headquarters as they put in marathons.

This is a fight for America’s future. And we stand in the shadows of our forefathers. I, for one, will feel better when I finally face them and tell how I carried on their fight for our country…

All aboard ladies and gents. We need to give it our best and make sure the boy king gets a ride out of town on a rail. Make him and his minions in the congress loose so bad they will wish for tar and feathers.

No looking back until after the election is what I believe to be the best course from here on.

Fundraising events are great, and big bundlers, all that. But Mitt should work his campaign — do what it takes — to excite the base to get SMALL DONORS.

SMALL DONORS… this will bring in a windfall, and as importantly Mitt needs to have an excited base if he is to be insulated against the Obama attacks.

And tack right. Yes. Last night’s speech was ok, but it was arguably an etch a sketch tack to the center, or to the nowhere ideology-free land. Be strong and conservative, to build trust on the right and on the left, all the more so now. Don’t tack to the center now! (Perhaps in September, ok)

I’m fully on board with Romney. Heck, I’ve known he was going to be our best choice quite awhile ago (pretty much after Perry flamed out). And I’m just doing the Pragmatic/Angryed thing because hey…one last time, right?

OK — point taken. But if you read Wallace’s history, you discover that she is a Berkeley alum, who has worked for the Bush family (especially Jeb and later GWB in the White house), and is closely allied with that branch of the GOP that endorsed Mitt. She is very highly thought of by the Washington Post and other MSM outlets, and was portrayed as the heroine in the recent TV travesty “Primary Colors”. I do not want to see her in the White House again, but I will not be surprised if she shows up on the staff. Ditto Steve Schmidt, who started out his career as a New Jersey Democrat, working for Bill Bradley. In other words, they are agents for the kind of Republicanism that Mitt has been associated with, and which is outspoken in its contempt for Palin.

Wallace and Schmidt are poisonous. There’s a reason Schmidt is now an official MSNBC contributor, after all.

But there’s no chance that either character (or anyone like them) would get near the Romney campaign. Not merely because they’re proven to be disloyal (which is DEATH in national campaign politics). Not merely because they’re washed-up losers (hey, Shrum kept getting jobs for years, same with toxic personalities like John Weaver). But rather because Romney goes with who he trusts, and he only trusts people who are proven to be smart and/or discreet, usually both. He’s been using the same tight-knit campaign team since the MA days: Eric Ferhnstrom, Matt Rhoades, Andrea Saul, Beth Myers. These are the guys who got him over the top in MA, they’re the team that engineered Scott Brown’s Upset Of The Century, and they’re the strategists behind Mitt’s campaign as well — all people he’s had longstanding relationships with. Ed Gillespie is the first ‘outside’ guy he’s brought in during the entire campaign (and it’s a good hire.)

There aren’t going to be self-serving leaks from this campaign, at least not from the top echelons (low-level staffers, well that’s what they do.)

okay, I see where you are coming from. I don’t agree with your viewpoint.. but we both are adults and can agree to disagree. Agreed?!

upinak on April 25, 2012 at 11:08 AM

Sigh. So goes my chance to brighten up my morning with a slapfest. Oh wait, maybe…

Thomas Sowell…you don’t “like”? Really? Those “black” people are pretty scary huh? They are all the same way, exactly the same, can’t tell the difference between any of them? Cain, scary dude…

Yes, it is still legal to be an idiot, so you are legal…

right2bright on April 25, 2012 at 11:08 AM

I am a statistician by profession, and speak of averages, not every particular individual. Thomas Sowell is a far outlier, of which I hope to see more in the future, but my expectations aren’t exactly high. As for Herman Cain, he had his bimbo eruption and – for a fellow PhD in hard science – is spectacularly dumb, as are people whom he had fooled. The 9-9-9 plan, FYI, hails from Sim City 4.

\That’s the last the RNC gets from me until I see a dunce walk for the morons who promised Romney the 2012 nomination back in 2008, and evidence they don’t plan on repeating the mistake.
Sekhmet on April 25, 2012 at 10:51 AM

Ha! You think the voters who voted for Romney in the primaries were just zombies following the RNC’s instructions? If the RNC can carry that amazing feat off than Obama has much to fear.

Sure sweetie, stick with that.
cozmo on April 25, 2012 at 11:08 AM

Stick with what? The part about his supporters not being Mormons, or the part about you alleging a commenter was hungover?

I hope to never again feel the overwhelming dread I felt when Obama was elected. I just kept telling people – this is not good news, he will destroy us.

gophergirl on April 25, 2012 at 10:19 AM

Exactly…I flew my flag upside down for a week. (Pissed my ex, who was a democrap, off every time he drove by…) The dread has never left my stomach. Laughing at the Obowma eats dog jokes was the best I have felt in almost 3 years!

Mitt may never match the war chest of Obammy, but as Santorum’s campaign proved, diligence and determination can do a lot to advance a candidate even on a shoe-string budget. Mitt’s messages were excellent last night and when he continues to deliver them in that same measured style, Obama will be hard-pressed to offer any substance in reply. If Mitt can raise enough funding to fend off the O Team kitchen-sink ad hominem and use every medium possible through which to attack O’s record, he’ll do just fine.

Once again, you cannot even figure out what you mean, but you want others to explain things to you…way to go cupcake.
cozmo on April 25, 2012 at 11:22 AM

I know what I mean, clown. I just wanted to rephrase it in a way so there could be no doubt about what I meant: Obviously some of his supporters are Mormons, but it is unwise to assume that all of them are. Is that clear enough for you?

Now, can you answer my question or are you going to play this slimy, juvenile evasion game you’re so fond of.

Methinks you protest too much…getalife. I bought stocks in the liquor industry the day Oclueless was elected, and have been working (drinking) to ensure that I get adequate dividends. Oclueless has been good for three things–guns, ammo, and liquor…

Always interesting to see that anyone that’s not on board with Team Statism is instantly branded a troll on a site supposedly frequented by people who believe in limited government. It’s all about getting your trinkets from the government with you folks, isn’t it? Pathetic.

Regarding the update about 20 planned fundraisers, this just underscores the foolishness of those who promoted the idea of a brokered convention, and demonstrates that anyone who pushed for that will not be hired anytime soon as a campaign strategist (except perhaps by Team O who must have been deliriously happy about the prospect).

Anyhoo, thank God we didn’t get to that point and can focus on getting O out of the White House.

I instantly write off any so called “conservative” that pledges to not vote for Romney in the general election as simply a liberal troll making a pathetic attempt to somehow discourage turnout our side.

I know PLENTY of conservatives in my life, and many didn’t like Romney (even loathed him), but I’ve yet to hear a single one say anything other than they want to vote Obama out of office.

I instantly write off any so called “conservative” that pledges to not vote for Romney in the general election as simply a liberal troll making a pathetic attempt to somehow discourage turnout our side.

Always interesting to see that anyone that’s not on board with Team Statism is instantly branded a troll on a site supposedly frequented by people who believe in limited government. It’s all about getting your trinkets from the government with you folks, isn’t it? Pathetic.

besser tot als rot on April 25, 2012 at 11:39 AM

Not everyone, only those who have been riding the dead chicken so hard that it fell apart. The rest of us are going to fight for out country…you guys better start lining up for more dead chickens…there seems to be a run on them lately.

I know PLENTY of conservatives in my life, and many didn’t like Romney (even loathed him), but I’ve yet to hear a single one say anything other than they want to vote Obama out of office.

BradTank on April 25, 2012 at 11:43 AM

+++1000, and in a nutshell!

lovingmyUSA on April 25, 2012 at 11:48 AM

I desperately want to. I just don’t know that I can with the piss poor options that have been presented to me. I’ve been begging people to give a reason to vote for Romney. All I hear is, “he’s not Obama.” Unfortunately, that’s not enough. Every time I convince myself that I can, Romney says something stupid, or I think about Romney’s record. Totally kills the mood.

RNC, tired of waiting, what a joke. Its always been Mitt for those guys. Fortunately for Mitt, I dislike the current resident at 1600 Pennsylvania Boulevard worse than him. However, Mitts speech last night was good and his message was clear, if he can keep the positive up and the negatives down, then he does have a chance and my vote will not be for not.

I desperately want to. I just don’t know that I can with the piss poor options that have been presented to me. I’ve been begging people to give a reason to vote for Romney. All I hear is, “he’s not Obama.” Unfortunately, that’s not enough. Every time I convince myself that I can, Romney says something stupid, or I think about Romney’s record. Totally kills the mood.
besser tot als rot on April 25, 2012 at 11:53 AM

Plenty of commenters have given solid reasons to vote for him over the years. It gets a wee bit tedious to have to repeat the same things over and over again. But if you really need more, read A Mormon in the White House. Or his Wiki page. Examine his resume’ and you should be able to find many, many reasons to vote for this incredibly competent man.

Actually I got in on a little of that. One of my business partners got a contract funded with stimulus money. I did a bit of consulting for him. Wasn’t much, about $25K.

angryed on April 25, 2012 at 10:43 AM

besser tot als rot on April 25, 2012 at 11:39 AM

yep… pathetic.

upinak on April 25, 2012 at 11:46 AM

I haven’t seen ed write in support of the stimulus, so I’m not sure what your point is.

I know that he has written that he’ll support Obama over Romney, but that is, I understand, a strategic position. I understand the strategy of supporting Obama in order to keep Romney from killing the GOP and the conservative movement. That is a bridge too far for me, but I understand it.

Just as I understand a strategic vote for Romney to get Obama out of office. That, too, is a bridge too far for me (at least at present). What I can’t understand are these people who are supposedly “strategically” supporting Romney all of a sudden defending his record and calling others “trolls” who can’t get themselves to support Romney because of his record.

Make of that as you will. As of right now, my plan is to put my checkbook back in the drawer and sit on my hands this election.

All I hear is, “he’s not Obama.” Unfortunately, that’s not enough. Every time I convince myself that I can, Romney says something stupid, or I think about Romney’s record. Totally kills the mood.

besser tot als rot on April 25, 2012 at 11:53 AM

Then you are not really listening or reading…Romney has shown he has the “right stuff” and the right team…damn, the speed with which his team has delivered substansive blows to the Axle mach in the last few weeks, has been a shot in the arm for most of us. We want a candidate that will FIGHT for us…and Romney has shown that he will do that…

On the other hand, if you are truly and HONESTLY being “cautiously optomist”, then I appreciate that…It does NO GOOD at this point in the game to keep slamming our candidate. He is what we have…He is our team now, as in the way-back days of school, we must be in their court now…

Examine his resume’ and you should be able to find many, many reasons to vote for this incredibly competent man.

Buy Danish on April 25, 2012 at 12:01 PM

I have looked at his resume, and, unfortunately, wish I hadn’t. Our differences probably lie in what we’re looking for in a candidate. I don’t want someone to “competently” run the government in “bigger and better” ways. I don’t view the government as the solution, but the problem. And, if I may remind you, Obama ran on competency as well. He doesn’t have any, but what he meant by that was the government doing and having responsibility for more and more things and the people doing less and less for themselves. That is statism and is not what I’m looking for. From either party.

Then you are not really listening or reading…Romney has shown he has the “right stuff” and the right team…damn, the speed with which his team has delivered substansive blows to the Axle mach in the last few weeks, has been a shot in the arm for most of us. We want a candidate that will FIGHT for us…and Romney has shown that he will do that…

On the other hand, if you are truly and HONESTLY being “cautiously optomist”, then I appreciate that…It does NO GOOD at this point in the game to keep slamming our candidate. He is what we have…He is our team now, as in the way-back days of school, we must be in their court now…

Obama ran on competency as well. He doesn’t have any, but what he meant by that was the government doing and having responsibility for more and more things and the people doing less and less for themselves. That is statism and is not what I’m looking for. From either party.

besser tot als rot on April 25, 2012 at 12:47 PM

What on earth are you talking about? Obama most certainly did not run on competency. He ran on hope and change and being a citizen of the world blah blah blah.

As for your repeated use of the word, “statism”, I thought Liberty and Tyranny was a great book, but Mark Levin went off the rails with his opposition to Mitt – who he endorsed in 2008.